The Ringer: the Raptors are the Clippers of the Eastern Conference

[OakleyDokely]

By the way, I thought we were the MEM of the East. I actually think that's a better comparison.

[johanliebert]

The clippers had better teams,

Washington has had the same core for like 3-4 seasons now but they’re “growing”. Why are the rockets not considered the clippers either?

This article is some funny stuff.

[johanliebert]

LOL this is EXACTLY who I said we were in summer.

Some posters are under the delusion that being a "50W team" is earning respect around the league but end of day no one takes it anymore serious than they did the Clippers. Until there's a REAL franchise talent here or a Finals appearance, no one cares. The comparison isn't being made by the exact parts it's about being a pretender that recycles 50W seasons with no real shot of making a Finals, that's the comparison.

It is respected around the league.

However it won’t be by fans of the league and miscreants who work for the ringer. That article was just trolling raptor fans who emailed complaints. In part they are correct unless there’s gonna be a roster move to bring help we won’t beat the cavs.

But calling the Celtics better..and claiming teams like the wiz are growing is a stretch.

[Johnny Bball]

Except it’s not the same core, and we have Masai Ujiri not Doc, we don’t have guys that hate each other, we aren’t playing the coach and gm’s son, we’re not in the west, we haven’t had quite the same injury problems, we still add players through the draft... other than that, the comparison is somewhat ok.

[PhilBlackson]

LOL this is EXACTLY who I said we were in summer.

Some posters are under the delusion that being a "50W team" is earning respect around the league but end of day no one takes it anymore serious than they did the Clippers. Until there's a REAL franchise talent here or a Finals appearance, no one cares. The comparison isn't being made by the exact parts it's about being a pretender that recycles 50W seasons with no real shot of making a Finals, that's the comparison.

It is respected around the league.

However it won’t be by fans of the league and miscreants who work for the ringer. That article was just trolling raptor fans who emailed complaints. In part they are correct unless there’s gonna be a roster move to bring help we won’t beat the cavs.

But calling the Celtics better..and claiming teams like the wiz are growing is a stretch.

Really?! I'm yet to see people who admire or look up to what the Clippers were.

They're done and look around, no one cares. All they talk about is how they were a pretender and now need to blow it up.

The Celtics are better, the sooner some of you accept that the less painful this season will be for you. I can't stand the majority of their fanbase as much as the next guy but their team is better and on the up swing. They are missing their 2nd best player and are still ahead of us in the Standings. How many people here would have us 1st in the league/conference if DeMar was out?! But they are and why?? Because they're better lol They're better coached, they have a better defense, they have more clutch players, better young talent and more remaining assets and cap flexibility to only further improve. It sucks but the truth hurts.

But I do agree on the Wiz, I'm so sick of people being apologists for them year after year. They always peg these guys as supposed ECF contenders and above us and have yet to be proven right. The Wiz disappoint every year and this year is no different. It's not growing pains, their bench is razor thin and their best guys (usually Beal who I have doubts will be by season end) can't stay healthy.

[phanman]

We've never had a trio nearly as talented as CP3/Blake/DAJ, so I don't think the comparison is apt.

[___Rand___]

Stop reading or posting The Ringer - run by a bunch of Cs.

[gd2812]

Is this a praise? Ringer praising team is a curse!!!
I hope we are not going on a losing streak.

[Scott Hall]

There was time when people legit thought that CP-Griffin-DAJ was a core capable of competing for championship. Analysts, writers were unanimous that Blake and CP were superstars. Raptors never had that. We were always underdogs and we were always not good enough.

Nah the Clippers never had good wing players... Always had that gap at SG and SF. Jamal Crawford was ok off the bench
but their wings and bench usually sucked. Also they always got a lot of injuries in the playoffs.

[MixxSRC]

There was time when people legit thought that CP-Griffin-DAJ was a core capable of competing for championship. Analysts, writers were unanimous that Blake and CP were superstars. Raptors never had that. We were always underdogs and we were always not good enough.

Nah the Clippers never had good wing players... Always had that gap at SG and SF. Jamal Crawford was ok off the bench
but their wings and bench usually sucked. Also they always got a lot of injuries in the playoffs.

That's on GM. But their core was worthy to be build around. At least that's what was thought of them

[Scott Hall]

There was time when people legit thought that CP-Griffin-DAJ was a core capable of competing for championship. Analysts, writers were unanimous that Blake and CP were superstars. Raptors never had that. We were always underdogs and we were always not good enough.

Nah the Clippers never had good wing players... Always had that gap at SG and SF. Jamal Crawford was ok off the bench
but their wings and bench usually sucked. Also they always got a lot of injuries in the playoffs.

That's on GM. But their core was worthy to be build around. At least that's what was thought of them

CP3, Blake and DJ ate up to much of their cap space like Lowry, DeRozan and Ibaka do for us but yeah I
wasn't a fan of their drafting or what they surrounded them with

[TackyRapsFan]

Except we don't have talent.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[Volcano]

There was time when people legit thought that CP-Griffin-DAJ was a core capable of competing for championship. Analysts, writers were unanimous that Blake and CP were superstars. Raptors never had that. We were always underdogs and we were always not good enough.

Clipper's problem was having good two way wing play. It would be tough for any team to advance very far with weak wings (one of Memphis's problems as well) or without great perimeter D.

They probably had the worst wing rotation in the entire playoffs, then you add injuries on top of that.

[hsb]

Washington is gaining experience

Lol, so this is how we should describe an under performing team now, to accommodate our perspective on certain teams

How long does it take to gain experience? John Wall is going to be 28 by the start of next season. By the time he's 30 maybe?

Probably awhile.

Tonight they just experienced a loss to Brooklyn without Lin, D'Angelo Russell, Okafor and Stauskas - where 7 players on the Nets had double figures - and are now 14-13 for the season.

What wonderful experience they are gaining.

[Basketball_Jones]

lol Lowry has been better then Paul for the last 3 years and Demar in another level of his own. We are far above the Clippers prime years.

[mowcrowbar]

What this misinformed journalist fails to regard is that the Raptors play in the Eastern Conference. Being mediocre in the playoffs is completely acceptable if the other 6 or 7 teams are even more subpar than them. The Raptors are the Hawks. That is the most accurate description. Also, a MacBook with a new graphics card? What a lame analogy.

[bboyskinnylegs]

The premise of the article is awful.

I know! You can't change the graphics card on a 2011 Macbook ...

[XxIronChainzxX]

LOL this is EXACTLY who I said we were in summer.

Some posters are under the delusion that being a "50W team" is earning respect around the league but end of day no one takes it anymore serious than they did the Clippers. Until there's a REAL franchise talent here or a Finals appearance, no one cares. The comparison isn't being made by the exact parts it's about being a pretender that recycles 50W seasons with no real shot of making a Finals, that's the comparison.

It is respected around the league.

However it won’t be by fans of the league and miscreants who work for the ringer. That article was just trolling raptor fans who emailed complaints. In part they are correct unless there’s gonna be a roster move to bring help we won’t beat the cavs.

But calling the Celtics better..and claiming teams like the wiz are growing is a stretch.

Really?! I'm yet to see people who admire or look up to what the Clippers were.

They're done and look around, no one cares. All they talk about is how they were a pretender and now need to blow it up.

Really? Because the Clippers got a lot of respect compared to the absolute gongshow that they were before CP3 and Blake. The franchise was a complete joke. The disrespect the Clippers ended up getting was because they underperformed their perceived talent level. No one thinks the Raptors are actually as good as their low-to-mid 50 win seasons. Some of our fans accuse DD and Lowry of being chokers, but the general attitude is that we overachieve in the RS.

[PhilBlackson]

It is respected around the league.

However it won’t be by fans of the league and miscreants who work for the ringer. That article was just trolling raptor fans who emailed complaints. In part they are correct unless there’s gonna be a roster move to bring help we won’t beat the cavs.

But calling the Celtics better..and claiming teams like the wiz are growing is a stretch.

Really?! I'm yet to see people who admire or look up to what the Clippers were.

They're done and look around, no one cares. All they talk about is how they were a pretender and now need to blow it up.

Really? Because the Clippers got a lot of respect compared to the absolute gongshow that they were before CP3 and Blake. The franchise was a complete joke. The disrespect the Clippers ended up getting was because they underperformed their perceived talent level. No one thinks the Raptors are actually as good as their low-to-mid 50 win seasons. Some of our fans accuse DD and Lowry of being chokers, but the general attitude is that we overachieve in the RS.

In comparison to being a bottom of the barrel franchise for 40+ years yeaaaaah of course lol they could ONLY go up from there.

It doesn't mean they became respected in general sense to other top teams in the league and again the Clippers just lost CP3 and people are pretty much back to not caring and calling for them to blow it up. You guys are so hung up on the specifics of the comparison lol just like when people say we're the new Hawks well of course we don't have a prime Millsap or Horford either and weren't a 60W team. But the comparisons are that we are a PRETENDER, that's it. Simple and plain.

Whether they overachieve/underachieve or meet expectation, doesn't make any lick of a difference. The bottomline, is we're a 50+W team with no REAL chance/expectation to win it all now or in the future (barring a major injury to the best player on the team), that's it.

[XxIronChainzxX]

Really?! I'm yet to see people who admire or look up to what the Clippers were.

They're done and look around, no one cares. All they talk about is how they were a pretender and now need to blow it up.

Really? Because the Clippers got a lot of respect compared to the absolute gongshow that they were before CP3 and Blake. The franchise was a complete joke. The disrespect the Clippers ended up getting was because they underperformed their perceived talent level. No one thinks the Raptors are actually as good as their low-to-mid 50 win seasons. Some of our fans accuse DD and Lowry of being chokers, but the general attitude is that we overachieve in the RS.

In comparison to being a bottom of the barrel franchise for 40+ years yeaaaaah of course lol they could ONLY go up from there.

It doesn't mean they became respected in general sense to other top teams in the league and again the Clippers just lost CP3 and people are pretty much back to not caring and calling for them to blow it up. You guys are so hung up on the specifics of the comparison lol just like when people say we're the new Hawks well of course we don't have a prime Millsap or Horford either and weren't a 60W team. But the comparisons are that we are a PRETENDER, that's it. Simple and plain.

Whether they overachieve/underachieve or meet expectation, doesn't make any lick of a difference. The bottomline, is we're a 50+W team with no REAL chance/expectation to win it all now or in the future (barring a major injury to the best player on the team), that's it.

Well, sure, but people thinking you're a pretender doesn't necessarily mean you wind up being one, e.g., people thought we were a pretender even for the ECF when we made it, and people thought the Mavs were pretenders when they won a ring.

Hell, right now the Cavs and Houston are probably still PRETENDERS and have about as much of a chance to beat GSW as we do to beat Cleveland. The Cavs had a worse showing against the Dubs in the Finals than we did in the ECF against them the year before.

The bottom line is that being a 50-win team with no "REAL" chance to win is a hell of a lot better than the dumpster fire of the Bargnani era or those terrible Bosh teams, and that's why a lot of fans are perfectly happy with where the team is right now.